


one could dream

by chewychurros



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - High School, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Humor, M/M, Mutual Pining, Slow Burn, Teenage Rebellion, but it’s okay!!, i’m trying my best ok, probably more than a little ooc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-29
Updated: 2019-09-29
Packaged: 2020-09-28 23:15:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,860
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20434088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chewychurros/pseuds/chewychurros
Summary: When Lee Jeno transfers high schools before his junior year, he has a very simple plan in mind.1. Don’t associate with anyone too loud or popular.2. Don’t get into any trouble.3. Don’t fall in love.All Lee Jeno wanted to do was graduate with honours and lead a simple life.Yet all it took was one look at Na Jaemin’s glittering eyes and blinding white smile for Jeno’s plan to fall apart in his fingertips.





	1. the prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [briangel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/briangel/gifts).

> hey there, folks! not gonna lie, i’m actually super nervous to post this, since i have no idea how it’s actually gonna turn out. i also don’t know when this will be updated, but i assure you that i will actually update! but this is a gift to THE BESTEST HUMAN EVER, so i hope you guys like it as much as she (hopefully) does)!
> 
> warnings — some cursing

Lee Jeno was used to change, to say the least.

To begin with, he moved fairly often.

He moved once when he was six years-old, from his hometown of Incheon to the bustling capital, Seoul. He remembered crying about it for what must have been close to a few hours, tearing out the green grass of his lawn fervently and stuffing it into his tiny pockets, if only to bring the tiniest scraps of his home with him to Seoul. His mother made him empty his pockets, of course, and that only made him cry harder. But by the time he actually got to Seoul, he realized it wasn’t that different from Incheon. The busy roads were the same for the most part, and so was the seemingly endless streams of people flowing in and out of buildings on the streets. He grew to like Seoul, and soon his tears were long forgotten.

In the the next ten years he would live in Seoul, Jeno would move houses another three times. Each move came with various changes, from the house itself—which he often found got nicer and nicer, thanks to his father finding a high-paying job overseas—to the closest supermarket and library. The number of schools he ended up transferring to increased more and more with each house he stepped foot in, and he found himself falling out of contact with his old friends more frequently than not.

It was during the third of those moves that Jeno’s elder sister, Min-ji, left for university. Her absence left a hole in his heart, and he cried the first few nights without her. Call him childish or naïve if you’d like, but Jeno has always been close with his family, and his sister’s departure had a bigger effect on him than most boys his age would have liked to admit. Now, the house was even more lonely, with so much space and only two people to fill it.

So they had moved again, this time selecting a smaller home. This marked Jeno’s fourth move, and, of course, he had to switch schools again. Jeno inevitably found himself sighing as he stepped onto the bus the first day of his junior year.

There was no longer a dull ache in his heart like he used to feel every time he changed schools. 

After all, he had slowly found himself getting more and more accustomed to change as the years went on.

But just because Jeno had gotten used to change didn’t mean he liked it.

If it were up to him, Jeno would have gladly stayed in Incheon, with his mother, father, and sister at his side as he grew up with the same old neighbours in the same old city with the same old schools and the same old classmates. Jeno much preferred familiarity to change, no matter how used to change he might get.

Or so he thought. 

Because everything would change in his junior year.

Because he would meet Huang Renjun, Lee Donghyuck, Mark Lee, Zhong Chenle, and Park Jisung.

Because he would become friends with this ragtag bunch and inevitably follow them through thick and thin.

Because he would fall in love with Na Jaemin and his endless, shining eyes, glimmering with hopes and dreams and untold stories. 

Everything would change in his Lee Jeno’s junior year.

And this time, he would actually come to like it.


	2. the beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s Lee Jeno’s first day of junior year! Avoiding the attention of anyone too rowdy should be easy, right?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! i’m back once again with the first official chapter! *huzzah* although, again, i will admit that this is probably not my best work. maybe i’m being a bit hard on myself, but it’s important to have high standards, amirite?! i guess i’ll just have to wait and see what you guys think.

Jeno was thankful for the lack of fanfare he received when he ran into his first period class two minutes before the bell rang. It was completely different from when he was younger, in which the teachers would have him stand in front of the entire class and introduce himself as “the new kid”.

In elementary school, kids would flock around him, their small, grubby hands reaching for his in an effort to pull him to closer to them so they could become friends as they fired off question after question about him. Jeno was grateful for those introductions back then, for the teacher essentially highlighting his existence and newness with a shiny yellow marker. It made his presence known, and kids had a tendency to gravitate towards anything that was even remotely foreign to them.

But in junior high, people stopped paying attention when Jeno would list off his favourite colour or animal or whatever else the teacher had asked him to name when he stood in front of the class chalkboard. They instead turned to their friends, whispering and pointing at him in their little cliques. Some of their gazes held warmth and genuine curiosity, but most of them held a certain air of distance and objectivity to them as they scanned him up and down, up and down. They weren’t really looking at _who _he was, he came to realize, but _what_ he was. They wouldn’t flock to him after that, instead continuing to watch him from afar.

At first, Jeno was hurt by this, upset at the lack of attention. That day when he came home, the first thing he did was flop onto his sister’s bed and whine. After he had explained his predicament to her, she had sat down on the bed next to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

“Min-ji,” he had said quietly, “what if no one comes to be my friend?”

She had smiled at him, warm and gentle, and said, “Oh, Jeno. Things change as you get older, and so do the people around you. But don’t you worry your little head about it.” She leaned over and ruffled his hair. “I’m sure you’ll get over it soon enough.”

He had looked at her like she was crazy, but didn’t say anything else. Min-ji was wiser than she seemed and kinder than most. She wouldn’t lie to him. Especially since he was her favourite brother.

(“You’re my _only_ brother, Jeno.” 

“Exactly! So I _have_ to be your favourite!”)

Looking back, Min-ji was right. Jeno got over the lack of attention faster than he thought he would. He quickly came to accept that not everyone was going to want to talk to him and not everyone was going to want to know his favourite ice cream flavour or whatnot. It was a harsh reality for every kid to get over, but get over it he did.

Now, two moves and a few years later, Jeno was actually _grateful_ for the lack of attention. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to physically handle it if a group of his classmates suddenly crowded around him and started asking rapid fire questions when he could barely decipher the school map he had printed off two days before.

_Jeez, just how big is this school?_ he thought to himself, as he twisted this way and that through the halls. He ducked under someone’s arm as he weaved past the crowd, eyebrows furrowed as he glanced down at the creased paper in his hands. Jeno knee that Neo High was a big school, but he really wasn’t expecting it to have _four__ floors_.

“Room 127, 127,” Jeno murmured to himself, eyes scanning the page dutifully. “Just where the _hell_ is room 127?”

He dragged a hand over his forehead, smoothing out the wrinkles between his eyebrows. This was _too_ much work just to get to his first class. At least it was on the first floor. He couldn’t even imagine what it would be like trying to get to his second period class, since that was one was on the _fourth_.

_Do they really expect me to run up three flights of stairs between classes?_ Jeno internally groaned, the exasperated look on his face growing more and more the more he thought about it. _This is actually insane. I’m gonna have to talk to my guidance counsellor abou—_

All of a sudden, an elbow was knocked into his side, and before he knew it, Jeno was on the ground, his creased paper map lying a foot away from him, even more crumpled than before. He whipped his head around to glare at the person who knocked him over, only to catch a glimpse of what looked like fluffy, chestnut brown hair bouncing away from him down the hall, accompanied by loud, bubbling laughter.

“What a way to start the year,” Jeno mumbled under his breath, sighing deeply. 

Not that he expected better, anyways. He leaned forward to grab his map, a frown etched onto his features. All of a sudden, a hand darted down before his could reach the map, picking the folded page up from off the ground. 

“Hey, sorry about that,” a new voice said, deep and bright.

Jeno lifted his head as his eyes flicked upwards, and he felt himself take a sharp breath.

In front of him stood easily one of the prettiest, if not _the_ prettiest, boy he had ever laid eyes on in his entire life.

His hair, for one, was _pink_. Very, very pink. It looked like cotton candy, what with how soft and fluffy it was. It was combed away from his forehead in a gentle wave, yet it somehow held an air of wildness, with the way it fell dangerously close to his eyes. Speaking of which, the boy’s eyes were dark like freshly brewed coffee, but the light from the school sunroof (because _of course_ the school’s hallway had a _sunroof_) cast tiny flecks of golden light that twinkled like stars in his gaze. The smile that stretched across his bright cheeks was wide and showed off his perfect smile, each tooth looking as if it had been hand polished by the Tooth Fairy herself. And his skin? Oh, it was absolutely _shining_ in the morning light, smooth and clear like just wiped glass.

Jeno wasn’t sure how long he was staring at Pretty Boy for, but the return of Pretty Boy’s voice quickly jolted him out of his trance.

“Are you alright?”

Jeno started for a moment longer, blinking wildly.

“I, I’m—uh,” he sputtered gracefully, his heart thumping erratically in his chest for some odd reason. “Yeah. Yeah, I’m good.”

_Smooth._ He internally winced. _Way to make a fool of yourself already. Especially in front of Pretty Boy._

Yet, for some reason, Pretty Boy laughed. He smiled and he laughed and Jeno realized that he might not mind drowning in this Pretty Boy’s laugh.

“That’s good,” Pretty Boy said, holding his other hand out towards him, palm turned upwards. “I wouldn’t want you to be hurt on your first day here.”

Jeno could only gape at him, blinking dumbly. It was positively _unfair_ just how _lovely_ this boy looked. He actually made the school’s uniform look _good_. From the mirth in his grin to the remnants of laughter in his eyes and the gentle slope of his outstretched hand—

Oh, right. Pretty Boy was trying to help him up.

Slowly, and maybe a little shyly, Jeno slipped his hand into his, allowing Pretty Boy to tug him up onto his feet. Jeno prayed that he wouldn’t feel the quick pace of his pulse where their wrists touched.

“Um,” he managed to say quietly when he stood uptight once more, suddenly feeling as if his voice had grown wings and flown off, “thank you.”

Pretty Boy smiled at him again, and Jeno felt his heart stutter in his chest. “Hey, don’t worry about it.” He ran a hand through his rosy hair, pushing it away from his eyes. “I’m sorry about earlier,” he said, his lips curling sheepishly. “Haechan has a tendency to run a little wild in the halls, so he probably didn’t even realize he knocked you over.”

Jeno couldn’t believe his ears. Pretty Boy was not only, well, _pretty_, but also kind enough to apologize in the place of others? He swore he could hear angels singing behind him, now.

“N-no!” he shouted probably a little too loudly, looking the way Pretty Boy’s shoulders jolted a tad bit, looking startled. Immediately, Jeno lowered his voice, feeling incredibly shy, once more. 

“It—it’s alright,” he said a second later, sounding significantly calmer. “It wasn’t your fault, so you shouldn’t have to apologize.”

Pretty Boy pouted, and Jeno’s heart was suddenly in his throat. “I still feel bad, since he’s my friend and all.”

Mustering all his strength, Jeno smiled and shook his head, looking down at his feet. “It’s alright, I swear. The fact that you helped me up is more than enough for me.”

Jeno’s body suddenly went tense as his head suddenly shot up, eyes darting around. “Right!” he gasped. “My map!”

Pretty Boy’s eyes widened and he quickly held up his other hand, in which he held a familiarly creased paper. “Ah, you mean this?”

Jeno’s shoulders sagged with relief and he nodded, head bouncing with eagerly. “Yeah, that.”

Pretty Boy gingerly handed the paper back to Jeno, and Jeno hoped that he didn’t jump too much as their fingers brushed. “Um, I really appreciate you picking this up,” he breathed, smiling wholeheartedly. “Really, it means a lot.”

Pretty Boy waved his hand nonchalantly. “Please. Anything to make up for what Haechan did to you.” He paused for a moment, seemingly contemplating before opening his mouth once more. “By the way,” he said, “my name’s—“

A loud ringing cut him off, and Jeno’s heart nearly came to a stop.

“That’s the five minute bell!” Jeno yelped, his anxiety returning at full force. All around him, students began to scatter, tumbling this way and that as the hallway slowly grew empty.

Jeno hastily unfolded his map as his eyebrows furrowed once again. “There’s only five minutes left until class starts,” he grumbled under his breath, “and I _still_ don’t know where room 127 is.”

Pretty Boy’s eyebrows shot up. “Room 127?” he repeated. When Jeno nodded hastily, he grinned, chuckling softly. “Hey, you’re pretty close already, so don’t be too worried.”

He reached a hand over and placed it on Jeno’s shoulder. Jeno had to physically restrain himself from squeaking at the touch as Pretty Boy leaned closer and pointed down the corridor. 

“Alright, you see the end of that hall? All you have to do is walk down there, turn left, walk for, like, three doors, then bam! 127 should be on your right.”

Jeno felt his eyes light up, his entire being nearly melting into a puddle of gratitude. “That’s a lot closer than I thought it was,” he sighed, his lips tilting upwards. 

Pretty Boy patted his shoulder once then removed his hand. Strangely enough, Jeno almost wanted to follow after his touch, if only to lean back into it once more. But the looming weight of the five minute bell’s appearance still hung heavy on his shoulders, and he knew better.

“Good luck!” Pretty Boy said, nudging him gently. “Now, off you go.”

Jeno nodded gratefully before taking off down the hall. However, a few metres away, he stopped, his heels digging against the tiled floor.

He had never said thank you.

He turned, cupping his hands around his mouth. He felt his lips split into a wide grin, his eyes surely turning into crescents as he smiled.

“Thank you!” he called, his smile growing even wider as he shouted down the near empty hall. “Thank you so much!”

He didn’t notice the way Pretty Boy seemed to freeze as the sight of his smile, instead turning left to round the hallway corner.

It wasn’t until a good minute later when he had finally sat down in room 127 that Jeno realized he had never caught Pretty Boy’s name.

_Oh, well,_ he thought, his mouth twitching down into a frown. _You can’t win ‘em all, I guess._ He sighed, resting his head on his hand. _At least a pretty boy actually _talked_ to you._

And for that, he was grateful. Jeno had set up three base rules for himself when it came to getting through the rest of high school when he found out that he would be transferring to yet another school:

_1\. Don’t associate with anyone too loud or popular._

_2\. Don’t get into any trouble._

_3\. Don’t fall in love._

The rules were simple, and they all had one key purpose—to keep Jeno’s profile low. He was tired of just being labelled “the new kid” and stirring up a fuss about him, only to be forgotten about three months down the line. He’d much prefer following a simple, quiet high school life. After all, he was a fan of routine. Wake up, go to school, pay attention in class, maybe join a club, go home, do homework, go to the gym, go to bed.

The rules were simple, and so was Lee Jeno.

And so far, Jeno had done a pretty good job at following through with all three of them. He hadn’t really interacted with anyone too troublesome or gotten himself into any trouble yet (if you didn’t count getting knocked over by some random guy, which Jeno definitely did not), and he most _definitely_ hadn’t fallen in love.

An image of Pretty Boy’s bright smile and deep hickory eyes flashed through Jeno’s mind.

_Yet_.

_Oh, shut up_, he hissed at himself, shaking his head slightly as he pulled out a folder and pencil case out of his bag to distract himself. _You literally only talked to the guy once. Get a hold of yourself._

Jeno was pulled out of his thoughts by a loud _‘clang’_ to his right. He jolted, posture going rigid as he turned, his eyes wide at the sight of a panting boy sitting in the desk next to him.

“_Barely_,” the boy breathed, brushing a few stray locks of chocolate brown hair away from his forehead. “I just _barely_ made it.” His gaze shot down to the watch that adorned his slim wrist. “And with just three minutes to spare.”

Jeno raised a brow at that. _Three minutes?_ That was more than just _barely_, at least according to Jeno.

The boy suddenly seemed to realize that there was someone staring at him as he looked to his left, his hand dropping from his forehead to the back of his head. “Ah, sorry for startling you,” he said almost shyly, rubbing the back of his neck while shooting Jeno a small smile, “I’m not usually this disorganized.”

Jeno laughed. “No worries. I wouldn’t want to be late on the first day, either.”

The boy seemed to stare for a moment longer, his eyebrows knitting together as his dark eyes travelled over Jeno’s face. “Are you, by chance, new here?” he asked. “I don’t think I recognize you.”

Jeno nodded. “Actually, yeah. I just moved to this area recently.” He held his hand out, flashing him his best smile. “My name’s Lee Jeno.”

The boy took Jeno’s hand in his and smiled back, a tiny dimple forming on his cheek as he shook his hand. “I’m Huang Renjun. It’s nice to meet you, Jeno.”

As they parted, Jeno joked lightly, “Honestly, I’m surprised that you could even tell that I was new around here, given just how big this school is.”

Renjun chuckled, slipping a notebook out of his bag. “It’s not that I know everyone in the school or anything, but I just recognize a lot of faces, if that makes sense.”

Jeno’s eyes widened as he sputtered, “I think it’d be impossible to know everyone in just one grade alone, let alone the whole school! There’s gotta be at least a hundred of you!”

Renjun threw his head back as he laughed, his umber eyes crinkling delightfully at the corners. “Buddy, think more like a _couple_ hundred.” 

Jeno shook his head, waving his hand at him. “Uh-uh. No way. That number’s already too big for me to handle. I can’t comprehend numbers that are bigger than a single hundred. _Nope_.”

Renjun cocked a brow at him. “You do realize this is math class, right?”

Jeno blinked for a moment, then groaned. “_Right_. My least favourite subject.”

Renjun barked another laugh at that, and Jeno couldn’t help but giggle a little, too. 

“That’s alright,” Renjun said. “It’s not exactly my favourite class either, but I heard Mr. Choi’s not actually that bad, so we can tough it out together, alright?”

Jeno’s smile grew. “Sounds fantastic.”

All of sudden, the bell sounded once more, and in strolled Mr. Choi. Jeno and Renjun’s mouths snapped shut as they turned to face the front of the class, although they couldn’t help but glance at one another from the corner of their eyes and crack a smile every now and then.

_Did I just make a friend?_ Jeno wondered passively as he spared another glance Renjun’s way. _An honest to god, genuine friend? And _that_ quickly?_ He wrinkled his nose. _Honestly, this feels like a joke._

Renjun seemed nice enough. He was well-spoken and polite, but didn’t seem to mind joking around too much. He also didn’t look to be too out of the ordinary or anything, not did he seem like the type to get into trouble. Jeno smiled hopefully. Maybe he really had hit the jackpot with meeting Renjun.

The rest of the class passed in a blur. Mr. Choi has asked the class to introduce themselves and share one fact about themselves, in typical first day of school fashion. Jeno (somehow) managed to introduce himself with tripping over himself.

“Oh, and,” he added hastily, “my favourite animal is the horse.”

He let out a sigh of relief when he sat back down again, the rest of the class applauding around him, mostly disinterested. Next, Renjun stood and introduced himself.

“And,” he said, his eyes flicking over to Jeno with a grin, “foxes are my favourite animal.”

Jeno felt his chest balloon with joy. Yeah, he _had_ made a friend, today.

When the bell rung once more to signal the end of class, it didn’t take Jeno very long to muster up the courage to tap Renjun on the shoulder.

“Um,” he started, unfolding his timetable from his uniform pocket, “I’m not sure if this is too much to ask, but do you think you could give me directions to my next class? I seriously can’t figure out how to navigate this place.”

Renjun’s eyes lit up without a moment’s notice. “Yeah, for sure! Here, lemme see that.”

Jeno gratefully murmured a small ‘thanks’ before handing him his timetable, watching as Renjun’s eyes scanned the page. “Let’s see...” the brunet murmured. “You’ve got art with Mr. Lee in room... 428?” A smile suddenly spread across his lips as he turned to look at Jeno. “I’ve got that class next, too!”

All the weight that had been sagging on Jeno’s shoulders suddenly seemed to vanish with that one sentence. “That’s awesome!” He grinned slyly. “Looks like I’ve got my own personal tour to my next class.”

Renjun snickered, swatting playfully at Jeno’s arm as he held out his schedule once more. “Hey, don’t think I’m just being friendly so you can take advantage of my knowledge!” 

Jeno laughed, slipping his timetable back into his pocket. “I wouldn’t dream of it, not in a million years.”

As he and Renjun strolled out of the classroom together and walked to the nearest staircase, Jeno couldn’t help but be glad that he wasn’t completely ignored on his first day as a junior.

Even if he only met two people, one of which whose names he didn’t even know, they were nice and polite (and _pretty_).

He couldn’t wait to meet more.

Too bad Jeno had no idea what these two seemingly ‘nice and polite’ people had in store for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ahhh, i hope you guys didn’t find my little jokes and references here and there to be too cheesy. anyways, how was it? i’d love to hear you guys’ feedback! and thanks so much for the kudos you guys have left so far! it might not be a lot to all of you, but it means the world to me <3 until next time!


	3. the neighbour

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jeno comes home after a long day to his mom and his cats. He wasn’t a huge fan of surprises, but meeting his neighbour wasn’t an entirely unwelcome one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i’ve returned, loves!! i hope you guys are all doing well. i start school tomorrow, y’all. yikes. it’s nothing too extreme or anything, but high school kind of sucks :( i may not be able to update as often any more throughout the upcoming school year, but i’ll do my best!!

The first day of school had finally drawn to a close, and Jeno was tired. 

He had met all of his teachers, gave countless introductions, bumped into more people than he would have liked to, met a handful of his classmates, and even made one friend. But to experience all of that in the span of only about six hours? Yeah, Jeno was _tired_.

But at least he had yet to break one of the rules yet. What were the rules? They were simple, really.

_1\. Don’t associate with anyone too loud or popular._

_2\. Don’t get into any trouble._

_3\. Don’t fall in love._

The first one was to make sure he didn’t draw too much attention to himself. He had done that by accident when he was still in middle school by being friends with the so called loud, popular kids. They had found a way to make everything be about them, and being friends with them made it harder for Jeno to be able to do anything without suddenly feeling pressured or trapped by the rest of the student body. So far, he had done a fantastic job with this one, having only made a single friend so far, and an absolutely delightful one at that. Renjun was kind, funny, and not so far into the limelight that’s everything Jeno did would be scrutinized if they stayed friends.

The second one was to make sure he kept a clean track record. With university and college applications coming up, Jeno couldn’t afford to let his grades slip. That meant no distractions because of parties or anything like that, and _definitely_ no tarnishing his report with a police record of any sort. Nothing illegal, nothing immoral, none of that. This one Jeno was almost positive he’d be able to keep up. It wasn’t like he was incredibly interested in things like that, anyways.

The third one was for a simple reason. He had gotten into a relationship with a girl when he was in junior high. The relationship had only lasted a year, but it wasn’t because they didn’t work out or anything. It was because he had moved, and neither of them were interested in long-distance. Maybe it was his fault, for not even attempting to maintain the relationship. Maybe it was hers, for immediately ending things when she realized he was moving to the other side of the city. Or maybe it was both of theirs, for not thinking about going long-distance at all. But either way, the relationship ended, and it hurt more than Jeno would have ever wanted it to.

The rules were simple, and Jeno was absolutely positive that he was going to end up graduating high school without breaking a single one of them.

After stepping off the bus, he let out a deep sigh of relief. He was lucky that the bus stop was quite literally in front of his home, despite the fact that he lived in a fairly quaint residential area. Looking up, he gazed at the townhouse he now called home. It was a pretty little building, with clean beige walls and a sloping roof with dark, shimmering shingles, along with large windows to let in light. It was connected to another townhouse identical to his to the right. There was a silver sedan parked in the house’s driveway next to his. Jeno absentmindedly wondered what his neighbour was like before turning back to his own home. His mother had set a few flowerpots with red camellias next to the black painted door the day before, and they really lit the front of the house up with colour. Jeno grinned as he bounded up the porch stairs. He shimmied his key in the lock a few times before swinging open the front door and stepping in.

The first thing Jeno did was take off his backpack and kick off his shoes, setting them both next to the door.

The second thing he did was lie down. Not on his bed, mind you. Just on the floor. It was oddly comforting, and he had no intention of moving for at least another ten minutes.

“I’m home,” he murmured to no one in particular, staring up at the not quite unfamiliar but not yet familiar ceiling.

He knew that if he looked at the walls, they would still be empty, devoid of any pictures. He knew that if he looked in his room, there would still be boxes lining the walls, despite the fact that he and his mother had just barely managed to set up both his bed and desk. He knew that there were only three bedrooms in the house, although one of them was only a guest room. He knew that if he looked in the kitchen, there would only be two chairs sitting at the table, as there was no need for any more.

The house was quieter without his father and Min-ji. Although he knew that his mother would be coming home soon enough, it still felt a little lonely in the empty house. 

The silence was suddenly broken by a soft meow.

Correction: _three_ soft meows.

“Seol?” Jeno said when he felt a soft paw prod at his head. “Is that you?”

A dark, tortoiseshell tail flicked in front of his nose, and Jeno grinned, despite the fact that he was almost certain that his nose was going to get stuffed sooner or later.

He flipped onto his front, immediately cooing at the sight of his three lovely cats, all sitting in front of him in a row. He sat up on his knees, smiling fondly. No matter how many times he moved houses or whoever it was left home, Jeno always knew that his cats would be there for him, even if they were more than a little detrimental to his health, thanks to his cat allergy. They provided him with so much comfort and joy that he didn’t particularly mind it when he couldn’t breathe properly when he got home or spent a few days straight sneezing.

He opened his arms up and patted both the space in front of him and his lap, pouting his lips and making kissy noises at the three felines. “Bongsik! Nal! Seol!” he crooned sweetly. “C’mere, my babies!”

Bongsik meowed at him, merely blinking her large greyish green eyes at him. Her tail swished back and forth across the tiled floor, and beside her, Nal pawed at it. Bongsik hissed at him, standing up before slinking away into the living room. Seol, who had just witnessed the whole ordeal, simply turned her head to look at Jeno, her large golden eyes making contact with his for a moment before she laid down where she had stood originally, settling into a small ball.

Jeno sighed. “Well Seol,” he muttered, lying back down again, “it looks like you’re the only one who loves me. And you _still_ didn’t even follow my instructions properly.” He narrowed his eyes. “Are you even _worthy_ of my love?”

Seol looked up at him again, then meowed.

“Yeah, I guess you are,” Jeno murmured, reaching a hand out to brush over her tortoiseshell fur. “With a face as cute as yours, I just _have_ to love you.”

She purred at his touch, and he melted a little.

Even if the house was more empty than not, Jeno still had his cats to keep him company.

Even if it was only Seol.

And even if he was allergic.

All of a sudden, the door swung open, narrowly missing Nal, who then proceeding to skid off in the opposite direction. Jeno’s gaze flicked upwards to meet that of his mother’s, who was looking down at him with an expression of concern.

“Jeno,” she said, her dark brows furrowing as she pulled her hair out the low bun she had it in previously, “what in the world are you doing lying on the ground?”

Jeno replied, monotone and without missing a beat, “Contemplating why it is I bothered to raise three cats when only one of them seems to love me.”

She smiled at him, mirth glimmering in her dark eyes as she shut the door behind her and slipped off her heels. “You see,” she said, “I’d say the same thing about my own children, but I’m actually lucky that both you and Min-ji love me.”

Jeno sat up, gently picking up Seol and placing her on his lap. “You sure about that last part?”

At the horrified gasp his mother let out, Jeno chuckled, waving a hand at her. “I’m kidding, I’m kidding, mom. I love you very, very, _very_ much.”

She stared at him, her gaze narrowed suspiciously. “Hm, I’m not sure if I should trust you or not. That _sounded_ like sarcasm.”

Jeno pouted at her, making sure he used his big puppy dog eyes. She groaned, rolling her own eyes

“You know I can’t deny you when you make that face,” she muttered. “But I’ll tell you what.” She put her hands on her hips, leaning down to poke his nose with a half-moon smile. “I’ll believe you if you help me make dinner _and_ tell me about your first day of school.”

Jeno smiled, gently nudging Seol back onto the floor before standing up. “Fine, fine. Anything for you, mom.”

In the end, all Jeno ended up doing was taking the kimchi he had made a week prior out of the fridge and setting it out onto a tray for later. His mother was far more interested in him telling her about his day rather than him helping her with cooking.

“Did you make any friends?” she asked at one point, a tinge of hope sleeping into her voice. His mom had always known how difficult he had found it to reach out to new people, especially right after moving, so she was used to hearing him tell her that he hadn’t yet made any new friends but that he would “get around to it”. That didn’t stop her from hoping, though. Luckily for her, today, Jeno had good news.

He smiled sheepishly. “Just one,” he said, swinging his feet around the barstool at the kitchen counter. “But he’s really nice, and he’s in two of my classes! His name is Renjun.”

Her face lit up with joy. “I’m so proud of you, sweetie! It’s only the first day, yet look at you go!” She leaned toward him, winking. “Here, I’ll make your favourite tonight so we can celebrate—jjampong.”

Jeno grinned, his eyes turning into crescents. “You’re the best mom _ever_.” He cocked a brow at her. “Does that prove that I love you, now?”

She hummed, tapping at her chin as if she were deep in thought. After a moment, she smiled at him. “Only if you tell me more.”

By the time dinner was ready, Jeno had told his mom everything he could think of about his first day at Neo High. He told her all about Renjun, Mr. Choi, the cafeteria, the library, how he almost got lost, and more.

Except he made sure to leave out the part about him falling and Pretty Boy.

That was something he wanted to keep to himself. He didn’t know exactly why, but for some reason, he wanted his memory of the lovely boy with a sweet smile and soft hands to stay private, to belong to him and only him. It was an absurd thought, he knew, but he kept his mouth shut, anyways.

It was as he was setting up the dinner table when the doorbell rang, echoing through the townhouse.

“I’ll get it!” he said before his mother could react, shooting her a quick smile before making his way down the hall and reaching the front. Clasping his hand around the doorknob, he turned it and pulled.

Jeno wasn’t exactly sure who he was expecting when he opened the front door, but he was pretty sure a tall, lean man wearing the most colourful tie-dye shirt he had ever seen in his life wasn’t it. In one hand, he carried a Tupperware container, and in the other, he held a leash that was connected to the white, fluffy dog sitting at his side. The man’s hair was dark and fairly long, or at least long enough to hang just in front of his eyes. He looked to be in his young 20s—a college student, perhaps?—but Jeno had never been good at guessing people’s ages.

“Um, hi,” Jeno greeted, smiling politely. “Can I help you?”

“Hi!” the main chirped brightly, tucking the Tupperware under his arm to hold out his hand. “It’s nice to meet you! My name’s Nakamoto Yuta, and I’m your next door neighbour.” 

The gears that had been whirring in Jeno’s mind suddenly seemed to click into place. _Ohh. That makes a lot of sense, actually. _

He leaned forward and took Yuta’s hand, shaking it firmly. “It’s nice to meet you too, Yuta. I’m Lee Jeno.”

From inside the house, his mother’s voice rang out. “Jeno? Who is it?”

Jeno jumped a little, letting go of Yuta’s hand to turn and call over his shoulder. “It’s our neighbour, mom!”

There was a slight pause, then the sound of a few pots clanging together and the unmistakable sound of a pair of slippers quickly bounding down the hall filled the air. 

“Oh, where are my manners?” his mother breathed as she reached the front door, wiping her hands on her apron. “Hello there, my name is Hyun-ae. I’m Jeno’s mother.”

Yuta’s grin never seemed to falter, not even for a moment. “It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Lee.” He reached forward to shake her hand. “I’m Nakamoto Yuta.”

She smiled, shaking her head. “Please,” she said, “call me Hyun-ae. There’s no need for you to be so formal.”

Yuta opened his mouth, most likely to protest, but he was cut off by a sharp bark from the dog sitting next to his feet. Jeno’s mother’s eyes lit up at the sound, and she bent down to coo softly. “See? Even your dog agrees.”

Jeno laughed, patting his mom on the shoulder as Yuta pushed his long bangs away from his eyes. “Hwan seems to have gotten his outspokenness from me,” he said with a sheepish chuckle. “It must run in the family.” 

She glanced up at him. “His name is Hwan, hm?” When he nodded, she added, “What breed is he? He’s gorgeous.”

“Hwan’s a Samoyed,” Yuta hummed. “He was a high school graduation gift from my parents. He’ll be turning four this coming winter.” He offered a crooked grin. “Something about needing to keep my whiny self some company while I was out on my own.”

Jeno’s mother nodded thoughtfully. “Your parents sound lovely. They must care a lot about you.”

Yuta smiled fondly. “They really do.”

She reached a hand out tentatively, pausing near the white dog. Yuta nodded, and she let her hand hover near Hwan’s nose. Hwan sniffed tentatively at the foreign appendage for a moment before suddenly bursting to life, yapping excitedly as he began to lick her hand all over. 

“Woah, there!” Yuta yelped, tugging a little at Hwan’s leash in an effort to reel him back. Hwan whimpered at the action, his mouth drooping from its upturned expression into something that resembled a frown—if dogs could frown anyways.“Calm down, buddy. You wouldn’t want to leave an even worse impression on our neighbours, would you?”

Jeno shook his head, his eyes turning into crescents as he smiled. “I assure you,” he said, “you’ve left a more than fantastic impression on the both of us.”

Yuta’s gaze suddenly lit up and he gasped. “I can’t believe I almost forgot about this.” Careful not to drop it, he pulled the Tupperware container from where it had been nestled in the crook of his elbow, holding it out to Jeno.

“Here,” he said. “I wanted to give you guys this as a little gift to welcome you guys to the neighbourhood. It’s homemade takoyaki.”

Jeno’s mother raised her eyebrows as Jeno carefully placed the Tupperware container on the ottoman next to him. “Takoyaki? Is that the traditional Japanese dish?”

Yuta’s chest seemed to almost swell with pride as he nodded. “Yes! I’m not sure if you could tell, but I’m actually from Japan. I’m attending a nearby university for a soccer scholarship.”

Jeno couldn’t help but let a ‘woah’ escape from his lips as his mother clapped in amazement. “Really? That’s impressive! How long have you been living in Seoul for?”

“A little over three years, now. I just recently started my third year.” His gaze flickered to Jeno. “And what year are you going into, Jeno?” He tucked a hand under his chin, looking pensive. “You look like a high school... senior?”

Jeno shook his head. “Not quite,” he said, but quickly added, “but you were definitely close! I’m a junior, actually.”

Yuta whistled. “A junior? _Really_?” He held his hand up horizontally to the top of his head, pulling it away until it reached Jeno’s. “You’re nearly three years younger than me, and yet you’re _still_ at least a centimetre taller than me.” He wrinkled his nose jokingly. “Just _what_ are they feeding kids these days?”

Jeno laughed. “You should ask my mom that. She’s probably been slipping something into my food for years, now.”

Immediately, Yuta’s head snapped to his mother, expression looking desperate. “Mrs—ah, I mean, Hyun-ae,” he said, “_please_ tell me your secret. I _need_ the height.”

She giggled, tilting her head at him teasingly. “Isn’t it better for soccer players to be shorter?”

Yuta blinked, then sighed. “I suppose you’re right, but it’d still be nice to be able to see the top shelf, y’know?”

He turned back to Jeno. “Anyways, right, you’re a junior. College apps must be coming up for you this year, then.” He reached over to clap him on the shoulder, suddenly looking serious. “I wish you luck. You probably don’t need it—you look like a smart kid, got a good head on your shoulders and all that—but you’re definitely going to feel like it. Trust me.”

Jeno shivered, but smiled. “That doesn’t make me feel stressed at all,” he said, jokingly rolling his eyes.

Although his mother shot a quick glare at him, probably for sounding rude, Jeno didn’t care all that much. Yuta seemed like a chill guy, with his bright as hell shirt and grown-out hair. The laugh he let out only made sure to cement his position as the ‘cool, soccer player, university student neighbour’ in Jeno’s book.

“Hey,” Yuta said gently, his smile relaxing as he pulled his hand away, “I might be making it sound really bad right now, but don’t stress out _too_ much. You’re still young. Make sure to have some fun while you’re at it. I’m sure you’ve got sports or other hobbies you can use to take your mind off things.”

His mom, having seemingly forgotten about Jeno’s rude behaviour, suddenly jumped in, eager to brag about her son. “As a matter of fact,” she said, “Jeno’s _also_ a soccer player like you. He was the star player of his team before we moved.”

Jeno felt his ears burn bright red at his mother’s words as he hissed a quiet, “_Mom!_” He didn’t like being in the spotlight, but his mom seemed to have a different perspective on things.

So did Yuta, it seemed, if the way he leaned forward with an even brighter grin was anything to go off of.

“Wow, really?” he said, eyes glittering in the porch lights. “Hey, if you’ve ever got some spare time on the weekends, I wouldn’t mind spending some time giving you some tips.”

Jeno’s eyes shot wide open and his hands flew up in front of his face, waving back and forth as he stammered, “For... For real? You, um, you really don’t need to do that, Yuta. You’re a university student _and_ you’re on a scholarship. You probably, no—“ His eyebrows knit together. “—you _definitely_ have enough on your plate, already. You don’t need to add ‘helping your neighbour with soccer’ to it, really.”

Yuta barked a laugh, waving his hand. “Soccer is my lifeblood, Jeno. Giving you advice for something I live and die for wouldn’t be a burden or even come close to it.” When Jeno’s eyebrows still remained furrowed, he smiled, soft and genuine. “Please, believe me when I say that.”

Jeno hesitated for a moment longer before sighing, letting his shoulders drop. “Alright,” he murmured, still unsure.

A hand slapped his back, and he suddenly started, wincing. “Lee Jeno!” his mother scolded. “At least say thank you to our kind neighbour for the offer!”

As Jeno started bowing profusely, saying at least a hundred ‘thank you’s or more, Yuta just laughed.

“Another thing, Jeno,” he said between chuckles. “Here’s one more thing that never changes, even when you graduate high school. Your mom will never stop being your number one supporter and fan, even if she’s a little pushy at times.”

And Jeno knew, from the cheer in his neighbour’s gaze, that he was right.

A few more exchanged pleasantries later and the promise to share family recipes with one another, Yuta waved and was on his way back to his townhouse, Hwan trailing right after him.

“And remember,” he shouted after him, “if you ever need anything, I’m literally only fifteen metres away, at most!” He pointed. “Especially you, Jeno. Believe me, I know—high school can suck a whole lot, and I know a thing or two about being the new kid, so if you ever need any advice, I’m here for you, buddy.” 

Hwan barked in confirmation, and Jeno couldn’t help but grin back. “I will, thanks!”

It was only once Yuta had disappeared inside his own home that Jeno’s mother turned to look at him. “My goodness,” she said, eyes wide. “He’s gorgeous.”

Immediately, Jeno’s cheeks flared. “Mom, what the heck?”

She waved her hands in front of her face. “Look, look! I still love your father, don’t worry.” She smiled fondly. “Nothing could change that. But!” She raised a finger at him. “I’m still allowed to admire the beauty of another person, alright? There’s nothing wrong with that, and all I’m saying is, Yuta was definitely _blessed_ when he was born.”

Jeno wrinkled his nose. His mom did have a point, he supposed. After all, Yuta was fairly easy on the eyes, with his strong jaw and sharp eyes. He _was_ attractive, in all senses of the word, sure. But in Jeno’s eyes, Yuta seemed more like an older brother, if anything. Like the cool cousin you were excited to see every holiday that showered you with advice and genuinely liked spending time with you. 

But sure, Yuta was... pretty. <strike>(Although there was only one face that came to to mind when Jeno thought of the word ‘pretty’.)</strike>

“Okay, mom,” he said, rolling his eyes. “He’s good-looking, I get it.”

His mother raised her brows at him, picking up the Tupperware from off the ottoman. “Good-looking is an understatement,” she huffed. “He looks like a _prince_.” She clutched the takoyaki closer to her chest. “And he’s pretty, well-mannered, funny, neighbourly, and cooks well? He reminds me of your father when we met.”

“You haven’t even tasted his cooking yet,” Jeno pointed out with a slight nudge. “You can’t say that he’s a good cook yet.”

_Although I do agree with everything else you said,_ he internally noted.

“Well, then,” she sputtered, rushing down the hall, “let’s go eat!”

Needless to say, Yuta was a great cook, but the more his mother talked about how pretty their neighbour was, the more Jeno could only think about a certain pretty boy he had met that morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi hi!! i hope you all liked it!!
> 
> 1\. are you guys surprised about who jeno’s neighbour is? i’m curious hehe!  
2\. tell your parents you love them!! they care for you a lot!! go tell them right now if you can!!
> 
> let me know what you guys thought about this update by leaving me a comment, if you’d like! i love all of them. until next time!


	4. the dreamies

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Huang Renjun is an angel, and Lee Jeno is eternally grateful. (Or is he?)

Jeno didn’t know what he did in his past life to be blessed with someone like Huang Renjun in his life.

The moment he sat down in Mr. Choi’s class the second day of school, Renjun had immediately turned to face him, his lips stretched into a bright smile. 

“Hey, Jeno,” he said, his eyes wide and glimmering with excitement, “what period do you have lunch?”

Jeno started for a moment, his mind stunned to life as he recalled his schedule. “Uh, third period, I think?”

Renjun’s grin grew even wider, somehow. He leaned over and clasped his hands around Jeno’s expression growing more and more eager by the second. “That’s great!” He tilted his head, his gaze turning quizzical. “Say, did you want to come eat lunch with my friends and I?”

The turning cogs in Jeno’s head suddenly ground to a halt.

_Is... is he offering me a spot in his friend group?_

Jeno could have _cried_.

Every time he transferred schools, it was always so hard to make new friends. Not that he was unsociable or anything, but it finding someone who was willing to let the “new kid” step into their social circle was always so difficult. Jeno understood it—it was hard not to. People were used to the way their school’s social hierarchy and circles were set up and worked, were comfortable with the familiarity of the boundaries laid out by each group of friends. Most people were not used to change; they didn’t like it. Jeno _still_ didn’t like it, despite all the moves. He had grown accustomed to, (very, _very_) slowly but surely, making his presence known in the day to day lives of his classmates, eventually making a handful of friends along the way here and there. It was a long process and it took time, but he was a patient guy. He was used to the long wait by now. 

But _this_? This was new.

An angel—Huang Renjun had to be an angel, Jeno was sure of it.

It was either that, or Renjun was insane, because who else would willingly let someone who was essentially a complete stranger into their friend group on the second day of knowing them?

That was right—an angel or a lunatic. Jeno decided to go with the former, if only to comfort himself.

“Yes,” he finally said, his mouth and eyes curving into shining crescents. “I’d _love_ to eat lunch with you guys.”

Renjun’s eyes lit up and he let his arms fling into the air. “Awesome!” Settling back into his seat again, he continued. “Most transfer students show up in sophomore year, so when I told my friends about you yesterday, they were all super excited to meet you. Jaemin especially.” He frowned a little. “But he’s got a student meeting today.” 

Jeno cocked his head. “Jaemin?” he repeated quietly, feeling the name settle on his tongue.

Renjun nodded his head. “Yeah, he’s just one of four others. You’ll definitely get another chance to meet him, so don’t think too much of it.”

The bell abruptly rang, so Jeno didn’t get to ask any more questions about Renjun’s friends, but that didn’t stop his mind from wandering. 

The day before, Jeno had learned that Renjun really, _really_ liked art. The moment the two of them had stepped into Mr. Lee’s art class, Renjun had ran up and high-fived the teacher standing at the front of the class.

“Taeyong!” he had greeted casually, grinning from ear to ear. “It’s great to see you back again!”

Jeno’s jaw nearly dropped to the floor. _Renjun’s on first name basis with a _teacher_?!_

Renjun had quickly explained to him that Taeyong was actually a student teacher and that this was his first time actually teaching a class. “He graduated when I was a freshman,” he clarified. “He was also the president of the art club, so we ended up being really close. I still keep in touch with him, even after graduation.” He grinned. “He told me he would be teaching an art class here, and I _knew_ I just had to be in it.”

Renjun was an art kid, that was clear to see. When Jeno had asked him what his favourite medium of art was, the kid nearly spent the full class just talking about the different kinds of paint and what he liked or disliked about each of them. (“Acrylic paint is great because of how quick it dries, so if you screw up, you just have to wait, like, two or three minutes before you can fix your screw up. But the thing is, it’s _because_ it dries so quickly that acrylic paint sucks, because you have to keep adding more and more paint to keep blending, or you might as well just die. That’s why I like oil paint, but it’s kind of toxic, so I might _actually_ die one day from inhaling the fumes.”)

Although Jeno had hardly got a word in throughout the class, instead letting Renjun blab on as much as he liked, Renjun did make sure to apologize for talking so much. (“It’s alright, Renjun. Seriously. You don’t need to bow, _seriously_—“) Jeno was fascinated by how passionate he was about painting. Sure, Jeno had always liked drawing—a simple pencil and paper was _his_ favourite medium of art—but he wasn’t nearly as invested in it as Renjun was.

_Maybe all his friends are really passionate about art, too,_ he thought, half listening to Mr. Choi’s lesson and half stuck in his own thoughts. He wouldn’t mind it if they were. Renjun’s passion was admirable—inspiring, even—and Jeno wouldn’t mind if he was surrounded by such driven people all the time.

In the blink of an eye, the rest of math class drew to a close, and Jeno and Renjun were sprinting up three flights of stairs to get to art.

“Wait a second,” Jeno managed to say to Renjun between a few pants, breathing heavily from essentially throwing himself up the stairs, “how many friends do you have?”

Renjun paused for a moment, catching his own breath as he did a headcount in his mind before saying, “Well, if you include me, there’s six of us total. But today, you’ll be meeting four of them.”

Jeno nodded, fidgeting with the strap of his bag a little as they walked into class. “If you, um, if you don’t mind me asking, what are they like?” When Renjun didn’t respond immediately, Jeno immediately began to sputter. “I mean, you don’t _have_ to tell me or anything. I’m just kind of nervous since I’m new and this is kind of the first time anyone’s eve—“

Renjun’s eyes immediately filled with concern. “No, no! Don’t worry! I’d love to tell you about them.”

Jeno groaned, running a hand through his hair. “Sorry if I seem kind of weird,” he murmured, collapsing into his seat at the art table he shared with Renjun. “I’m kind of awkward, if that wasn’t obvious enough already.”

Renjun’s expression relaxed. “Hey, don’t stress out about it. You’re new, and it’s your junior year. You have every right to be awkward.” He set his bag down on the ground, leaning forward on the table. “Here, let me tell you more about my friends.”

He held up one finger, looking pensive. “First off, there’s Jisung. He’s the youngest, a freshman. We’ve known him for ages though, so I hope you don’t think it’s too weird or anything.” When Jeno shook his head, he continued. “He’s a little shy when it comes to new people, but he can be a little bratty once you get to know him.” He smiled fondly. “It’s okay though, because he’s cute.”

He raised a second finger. “Chenle‘s a sophomore, but both of us are in the same advanced Mandarin class. He’s quite the talker, and his laugh is well... it’s _something,_ alright. But he means well and is honest, so that’s gotta mean something.”

A third finger went up. “Mark’s the oldest. He’s a senior actually, and he’s been pretty stressed out lately. You know, acceptance letters and all that.” Jeno shuddered at the thought, and Renjun laughed. “I know right? Scary. He’s definitely awkward, probably even more than you,” he added jokingly, chuckling at the way Jeno’s ears turned red, “but he’s kind of like our dad, if that makes any sense. He tries keeping up out of trouble whenever he can.”

He lifted a fourth. “Then there’s Donghyuck.” He clicked his tongue. “Well, no one really calls him that, but whatever. He’s affectionate, to day the least. Although it might not happen right away, he’ll probably start being clingy sooner or later. He’s also pretty fussy, and he kind of has a tendency to be cheeky. But he’s a good kid, I swear.”

The fifth finger went up. “And last but not least, there’s Jaemin. Jaemin’s... well.” He scrunched his nose. “Jaemin’s our resident pretty boy, for one.”

The image of pink hair and a dazzling smile flitted through Jeno’s mind. He leaned forward, perhaps a little hopefully.

Renjun hummed, thinking a little more. “He’s kind of a flirt, but it comes naturally to him? No, that sounds weird. How do I put it? He’s... a people pleaser. On student council, volunteers a lot, stuff like that. Nice to a lot of people.” He shrugged. “There’s definitely more to him—to all of them, really—but you’ll have to meet them to really get to know them.”

The bell rings just then, but it doesn’t stop Jeno from grinning. “I can’t wait.”

One lecture about the different art movements and how they’ve influenced the years that followed from Mr. Lee, a couple pages of notes, and a handful of more whispers shared between Jeno and Renjun later, the bell rings and Jeno felt his stomach fill with uneasiness. This was the hard part about making friends—actually meeting them.

“C’mon, let’s go!” Renjun said, rocking on his feet as Jeno swung his bag over his shoulder. “They’re all waiting.”

As they made their way down the stairs to the second floor, Jeno fiddled with his uniform pocket. “Hey, Renjun,” he said, “could I ask you a question?”

The brunet glanced at him, grinning. “You already did, but sure.”

Jeno took a deep breath, steeling himself to ask the question he had been thinking about all class. “Why are you taking advanced Mandarin?”

Renjun stopped on the stairs, staring at him. He blinked, almost looking confused. “Um, because I’m Chinese?” 

Now, it was Jeno’s turn to stare, completely dumbfounded. First, his neighbour. Now, Renjun? “What.”

Renjun gestured to his face. “I feel like I look pretty Chinese, I dunno. Was it not obvious that I’m a foreigner?”

Jeno shook his head, mouth agape. “Your Korean’s so good, though?”

“I learned it in school when I still lived in China, so when I moved like six or seven years ago, the transition wasn’t that weird.” He shrugged as he continued to hop down the stairs. “So I guess I’ve just been speaking Korean for a lot of my life.” 

Jeno started at him, still wide-eyed. “To put it mildly, I’m genuinely shook.”

Renjun cackled as they turned the corner. “I’m not gonna lie, but this is probably the first time somebody’s met me and hasn’t been able to point out the fact that I’m Chinese right away.” 

Jeno groaned. “This is the _second_ time in two days that I’ve made this mistake. But to be honest, that’s probably just because I’m dumb.”

Renjun shook his head. “Nah, it’s not because you’re dumb. Chenle and Jisung only have about six brain cells combined. You’ve got like, at least seventeen. It’s probably just because you seem like the dense type.”

Jeno had to stare again. “I do?”

Renjun nodded. “Yup. You just seem like the kind of guy that mistakes flirting for just being really nice. You know, the kind that misses even the most obvious of signals.”

Jeno frowned. “I do not!”

Renjun smiled, his feet coming to a stop. “We’ll see about that. But hey, that denseness will help you fit right in with the rest of us, I’m sure of it.”

Jeno cocked his head. “How do you know that?”

Renjun shrugged. “Call it a gut feeling, if you will. Anyways,” he said, pushing open the cafeteria doors, “we’re here.” 

In the pair stepped, the sound of chatter and laughter filling the air around them as they strolled on in. “It’s louder than it was yesterday,” Jeno murmured, partially in awe by how much his ears were already starting to hurt.

“Probably because people have started to settle in a little more.” Renjun smiled almost apologetically. “I’m sorry in advance for your eardrums.”

Jeno blinked for what must have been the millionth time that day. “Huh?”

A deafening squeal suddenly broke across the cafeteria. It sort of resembled a dolphin, with how high-pitched it was. Jeno jumped a little, although no one else around him flinched. “What,” he said, concern sneaking its way into his tone, “the heck was _that_?”

“That,” Renjun said almost proudly, grinning, “was Zhong Chenle.”

He grabbed Jeno by the wrist, tugging him into the back of the cafeteria before his shoes ground to a halt. “Welcome!” he declared, gesturing to a table at which four boys were currently sitting. “Meet the dreamies, otherwise known as the losers I call my friends.”

Two of the boys, both of their hair bleach blond, were bickering back and forth, their eyes narrowed at one another from across the table. The shorter one frowned, his round face almost sinking entirely with his expression. Meanwhile, the taller one folded his arms, his mouth moving faster than Jeno thought was possible.

“The shorter one’s Chenle,” Renjun said when he noticed Jeno’s staring. “He’s the one you heard scream earlier. The taller one’s Park Jisung. They’re both best friends and got their hair dyed blond together because they’re impulsive like that, but they argue a lot over dumb things, so don’t get concerned if you hear Chenle scream again.”

Jeno swallowed. “I’ll, uh, try not to?” he offered weakly.

“Also,” Renjun added, smirking, “Chenle’s also Chinese, in case you couldn’t tell, which is probably.”

Jeno opened his mouth to protest, then swallowed his pride and closed it. “Honestly, I can’t even argue with you, because you’re right.”

Behind the two sat a clearly stressed out black-haired boy. He was typing furiously away at his open laptop with his right hand, his left hand swatting away the hand of the boy sitting across from him. Said boy had a grey hoodie on, his face hidden by the hood that was pulled up and over his head.

“_Hyuck_,” the black-haired boy hissed, not even looking up from his laptop as he slapped the hooded boy’s hand away once more. “Stop trying to steal my chips.”

‘Hyuck’ let out a whine, pulling his hand back. “But you owe me from last week!”

The stressed boy glared at ‘Hyuck’ for a moment, then fished around in his pocket before pulling out a crumpled bill and slamming it onto the lunch table. “There,” he said, turning back to his laptop once more. “Take it and stop. Trying. To take. My. Food.”

‘Hyuck’ didn’t have to be told twice, apparently, if the way he grabbed the bill and ran off toward the vending machines on the other side of the cafeteria was anything to go off of.

Renjun smiled at the way Jeno blinked owlishly and tugged at his arm towards the spot ‘Hyuck’ was just sitting. “Hey, Mark,” he said as he dropped his bag onto the bench. “What’s up?”

Mark picked up a chip and shoved it into his mouth, dragging a hand over the dark circles under his eyes. “Dude,” he said, exasperation saturating his tone, “you know how I said I wanted to take psych this year? Well, Mr. Kang accidentally _‘forgot’_ and apparently now I’m taking university level pottery.”

Renjun snorted, and Jeno couldn’t help but stifle a laugh. “Mr. Kang’s probably just messing with you, don’t worry about it,” Renjun said. “You _are_ one of his favourite students.”

Mark threw his hands into the air. “Renjun, are you hearing me? _Pottery! _He put me in freakin’ _pottery_! I’m telling you! I can’t even draw a proper _stick figure_ and Mr. Kang wants me to take po—“ 

His eyes finally slid to the boy standing behind Renjun, and his expression shifted. “Oh, um,” he said, suddenly sounding almost shy, “hi. Is— is this a friend of yours, Renjun?”

Renjun’s grin widened. “Yup!” He gestured behind him. “This is Lee Jeno and a classmate of mine. Jeno, meet Mark Lee, a senior.”

Jeno felt his spine go rigid as he bowed. “It’s nice to meet you, Mark-hyung,” he greeted. “I hope you get to transfer out of pottery as soon as possible.”

Mark laughed. “Don’t feel the need to be too formal with me,” he said. “I grew up in Canada, so I don’t really care too much about being older or anything.”

Jeno’s eyes widened as he straightened, his gaze glimmering with curiosity. “Canada?” he warbled. “But you look Korean?”

Renjun smacked his arm. “He _lived_ in Canada, but he’s _Korean_, you dummy.” He sighed, glancing back at Mark. “As you can saw, Jeno’s pretty dense.”

Jeno’s cheeks flushed. “_Hey_!”

Mark waved a hand at him, grinning. “Hey, I’m pretty dense, too. I’m sure you’ll fit right in with us.”

Renjun’s eyes lit up and he faced Jeno. “Ah, that reminds me—I should actually finish showing you around the dreamies properly. Well, uh, first of all, the kid who was trying to take Mark’s food is Lee Donghyuck. I’ll introduce you two properly when he gets back. Knowing him, he’s gonna spend at least six minutes just looking at the vending machine options.”

When Jeno nodded, Renjun flipped around on his seat, gesturing for him to follow after him as he scooted down closer toward Chenle and Jisung, who were still bickering. 

“Hear me out—“ Jisung began, but was promptly cut off by another shrill cry.

“NO!” Chenle shouted, cutting him off.

“HEAR ME OUT,” Jisung repeated, louder this time.

Chenle scowled. “Jisung, you’ve gotta be dumber than I thought if you think that I was even going to _consider_ changing sides.”

The younger boy slammed the heel of his palm into his forehead, dragging it over his face with a long, drawn out groan. “Look,” he said, staring pointedly, “Aerith’s death was sadder.”

Chenle slammed his hand onto the table. “Absolutely _not_!”

Jisung’s mouth suddenly started to move, and, by the looks of it, it wasn’t going to stop anytime soon. “Oh my god, _listen_! Aerith is basically the most innocent little mage ever. She's sweet, unassuming, and she heals your dumb butt whenever you’re on the brink of death.”

Jeno blinked, his ears straining to understand what they were saying. “Um,” he said quietly, glancing at Renjun from the corner of his eye. “What’s happening?”

Renjun held up a hand, grimacing. “Give them a minute.”

Chenle butt in, twice as aggressive as he was earlier. “Yeah, so? Have you _seen_ my boy Zack? Like, dude! You’ve been with him since the beginning! He was just this energetic, spunky 16 year-old like me who wanted to be a hero!”

“But Aerith was so sweet! And she just gets murked by the antagonist—“ Jisung snapped his fingers. “—just like that! And she dies _after_ Zack! She has to live _without_ him! Doesn’t that make you at least a little emotional?” 

“Not as emotional as knowing that Zack had to see nearly every major character die or go crazy!” Chenle screamed back, his voice cracking. “The fact that you know that his death is coming from the very beginning makes it worse. I’m telling you, it’s _worse_!”

Jisung pointed at him accusingly. “That is _exactly_ why it’s not worse! You knew it was coming—!”

“But that doesn’t make it any _easier to bear_!”

“Are you _kidding me_?! _Of course_ it doe—“

“Hi there, boys!” Renjun abruptly chirped, stepping forward with his eyebrow twitching with annoyance while his mouth split into a tight-lipped smile. “Did you two want to say hi to our new friend, here?”

Chenle and Jisung whirled, their eyes narrowed into slits. Their faces were serious, and if he hadn’t heard their conversation just now, Jeno would have guessed that they had just killed a man.

“Hello,” Chenle said, briefly yet politely.

“Hi,” Jisung said, equally as curt. “Who do you think had the sadder death in Final Fantasy VII—Zack or Aerith?”

Despite the sweet smile on Renjun’s face, he looked like he was about to smack both boys right over their heads. Jeno stared at them for a moment longer, his mouth opening as he smiled sheepishly. 

“I haven’t played Final Fantasy VII.”

The two boys’ jaws dropped simultaneously, shock painting both of their features immediately.

“Y-you—you haven’t played Final Fantasy VII?” Jisung whispered in genuine shock, his eyes as wide as saucers.

Jeno shook his head, quirking his head. “I’ve played Final Fantasy XIII, but honestly that’s partially just because I really like the soundtrack.” 

Jisung continued to stare at him, mouth agape, while Chenle nodded thoughtfully. “That’s understandable. The score for ‘The Promise’ _is_ really good.”

Jeno’s eyes lit up. “I know right? It’s so good!” 

Jisung finally spoke up once more. “You’ve _really_ never played Final Fantasy VII?”

When Jeno moved to shake his head again, Jisung stood up, his hands waving. “How have you played Final Fantasy XIII but _not_ Final Fantasy VII? VII is like, one of the classics of the entire series! It’s... it’s like the golden snitch!”

Jeno raised an eyebrow. “It’s hard to catch?”

Jisung pauses then shook his head. “No, it’s, uh. It’s the most valuable? The best one?”

Chenle snorted. “That’s a terrible analogy, Sungie. It’s almost like we didn’t even have a Harry Potter marathon last week.”

“L-Look!” Jisung sputtered defensively. “You’re the one who’s in love with Draco Malfoy!” 

Chenle’s cheeks flared up. “I am _not_—“

It didn’t take long for the bickering to start up once more, and Renjun turned to Jeno. “Well,” he said, his expression much more relaxed than it was earlier, “I didn’t peg you as the gamer type.”

Jeno smiled and shrugged. “I’m not, really. I like them, but I don’t think I’m nearly as invested as those two are.”

Just then, a grey-clad arm wrapped around Chenle’s waist, hoisting him into the air. The boy let out a scream, flailing his arms wildly as he was spun around. Jeno vaguely thought that it reminded him of the sound of a dolphin, but brushed it off. It was probably just his imagination.

“Oh,” Renjun said simply, hardly batting an eye. “Hyuck’s back.”

Jeno winced when Chenle let out yet another scream. “Should—should I be worried?” 

Renjun shrugged. “Not really. I’d be more worried if we were outside, though.” His mouth quirked downwards. “At least Donghyuck is partially restrained when we’re inside, mostly by the teachers. But outside? That man has no mercy.”

“Put me down!” Chenle squealed, kicking furiously, though it did little to deter his attacker.

“Nah,” Donghyuck said bluntly. “I don’t feel like it.”

Chenle grumbled, glaring down at him. “But _why_?! What did I do to warrant this kind of behaviour?!”

“There weren’t any of my chips left,” Donghyuck whined, shaking Chenle back and forth. “And I wanted snaaacks.”

“That’s not my fault!” Chenle wailed. “So just put me down already, will you?!”

Jisung snorted from the table. “You wanted a snack so you picked up Chenle? You’ve got bad taste.”

Chenle let out an indignant gasp, pausing his struggling for a moment. “You did _not_ just say that, Park Jisung! I’ll have you know that I _am_ a snack, and a gourmet one, at that! No, I’m a four, no, a _five_ course meal, complete with dessert and the finest spices!”

Jisung only stared at him, unimpressed. “‘And the finest spices’? Now you’re just spewing nonsense.”

Chenle opened his mouth, surely to continue his rapid fire blabbering, but Donghyuck suddenly whipped around once more, which tore another scream out of the poor boy’s throat. Jeno flinched again and snuck a look at Renjun. When the brunet’s eyes met his, he mustered up a tiny smile, one that half-screamed, _“What the fuck?”_ and half-whispered, _“What the fuck?”_ Renjun grinned back brightly, but there was still a hint of trepidation lingering in his gaze.

“So,” he drawled, rocking back and forth on his feet, “what do you think?” 

Jeno raised a brow at him. “About Final Fantasy VII? Again, I haven’t playe—“

The brunet shook his head. “No, no! I meant, uh, about. _Them_.”

Jeno paused, a smile creeping onto his face. _He’s worried what I think about his friends. He’s sweet_.

But to answer his question... what _did_ Jeno think about the, well, the _dreamies_, as Renjun had called them? Well, they were certainly funny. They were nice and tested him like they were friends already, even though they had just met, quite literally. Perhaps they were a little rowdy, but weren’t all friend groups like that?

All of a sudden, Jeno thought back back to his plan and its first step.

_1\. Don’t associate with anyone too loud or popular._

Jeno wasn’t exactly sure whether or not Renjun and the rest of the dreamies were particularly popular, to say the least. At the moment, they weren’t being flocked by a huge crowd of people, but he could catch the stares and lingering gazes of other students in the cafeteria, their eyes looking over at them every once in a while. Not to mention, nearly everyone seemed to recognize Renjun, and he got more than his fair share of ‘hello’s and ‘how’re you doing?’s in the hall.

But even if he wasn’t sure if the dreamies were popular, Jeno sure as hell knew that they were _loud_. And that was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

But the facts still stood—the dreamies were nice. They were funny. They were easy to talk to and even easier to get along with. Sure, they were a bit loud, and maybe they were even a little popular, but he trusted Renjun, and the dreamies seemed like nice people to be friends with.

Jeno smiled reassuringly at the brunet, making sure to reach over and pat him on the shoulder for extra effect. “I have a feeling I’ll fit right in here.”

Chenle let out another squeal, this one even more ear-piercing than the last, and Jeno couldn’t help but let his gaze flit over to the blond boy. Donghyuck had since put Chenle down, but currently had his arm wrapped around him in a headlock, giving him an aggressively affectionate noogie as Jisung held his phone up, surely recording.

“Coochie coo!” Donghyuck crooned, his spare arm reaching around Chenle’s waist to tickle him. “You can’t escape me!”

A giggle bubbles up in Chenle’s throat, high-pitched and deafening, and he squirmed where he stood as he swatted at the boy’s arm. “Haechan, stop it!”

Jeno froze.

Haechan?

_Wait a second._

He whipped around, looking over at the boy who currently had Chenle in a chokehold, giving him a noogie. It was the boy with the grey hoodie from earlier, the one who had run off to the vending machines, except now his hood had been pulled down, revealing his face. He _knew_ that his name was Donghyuck. But Chenle had just called him _Haechan_.

Jeno could have _sworn_ he had heard that nickname before.

All of a sudden, the words of a particular pink-haired boy flashed through his mind.

_“I’m sorry about earlier. _ _Haechan has a tendency to run a little wild in the halls, so he probably didn’t even realize he knocked you over.”_

_Oh_. Oh _no_.

Jeno turned to stare at Donghyuck a little harder, eyes scanning over his exposed face. Although he couldn’t recognize the round shape of his face or his golden skin, his hair was familiar. After all, it was fluffy and parted in the middle just a little bit so that you could see a sliver of his forehead. 

And it was chestnut brown.

“Oh my god,” Jeno breathed, pointing as he got to his feet. “You’re the guy that made me trip and fall in the hallway yesterday!”

Renjun‘s jaw dropped. “Haechan made you fall on the first day?” 

Jeno nodded his head, still staring the culprit down. “Yeah! He literally just elbowed me to the ground and passed by like it was nothing!” 

There was a beat of silence as Haechan and Jeno stared each other down. Chenle and Jisung had since fallen silent. Mark had stopped typing.

All was quiet.

Then, Haechan spoke up.

“Uh, is it bad that I don’t remember this happening?”

Mark slammed his forehead into the lunch table, groaning something that sounded suspiciously like, “For fuck’s sake, Hyuck,” as Jeno gaped at him.

Haechan blinked innocently.

_“Haechan has a tendency to run a little wild in the halls, so he probably didn’t even realize he knocked you over,” _Jeno recalled Pretty Boy saying.

For fuck’s sake, indeed.

Across the table, Jisung muttered, “Talk about first impressions,” as Jeno silently wondered what the hell he just got himself into.

It looked like Huang Renjun wasn’t an angel after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi guys! i’m back :) sorry for the long wait. school’s started again and i’m, well. i’m very good at procrastinating on everything i touch. i hope this chapter makes up for it, though! (by the way, i’ve never played any of the final fantasy games, so uh, my apologies if i got something wrong.) feel free to leave me a comment and tell me how i did! <3

**Author's Note:**

> congrats, y’all! you made it to the end of the prologue! i’ll admit, this isn’t my best work, and i kind of just haphazardly threw it together, if only to have something written down, y’know? but still—how was it? please let me know how i did, whether it was good, bad, or just plain meh! i’d really appreciate it <3


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